“The man is a fanatic,” admitted Tolland, “but an amazingly clever one. I am the only person who knows the purpose of his messages. They are sent to frighten me.”
“To frighten you?”
“Certainly! When I received mine — the first of all the Double Z correspondence — I took it seriously and went into hiding, in this house. The enemy suspected my game. He knew that I was protecting my own skin in order to deliver a counterattack.
“He felt that the effect of his threat would gradually wear off. So he launched his campaign of informing the police of his intended murders, believing that each one would weaken my morale when I heard of it.”
CAULKINS sat upright in his chair. This amazing statement threw a new light on Double Z. It showed a method behind the criminal’s strange notes to the police.
“For months,” went on Tolland, “I have been giving my enemy a chance to betray himself. One slip — one slight clew of his identity to the police — and my reappearance would clinch the fight for justice. That clew has not been forthcoming. And I, alone, cannot give his name to the authorities. It must come from him — from some act of his.
“Nevertheless, I have decided to act — because of you.”
“Why because of me?” asked Caulkins in surprise.
“There are two reasons,” declared the judge calmly. “First, because you discovered me. That shows that my enemy may discover me, also. I am not immune.”
“I saw you in a little barber shop,” explained Caulkins, “having your hair dyed. Your chin looked familiar. I followed you here. I obtained a key that opened the vestibule door.”